Pages

Friday, 21 March 2014

From the day
I found out I was pregnant, I’d always known that I wanted to breastfeed my
baby. That was providing I was actually able to, and thankfully, from day 1 I
was.

I had looked
into buying a breast pump while pregnant but didn’t want to get ahead of myself
or jinx anything by buying one, so I waited until breast feeding had been
established before looking into it again.

I knew that I
wanted to get an electric pump (I’m
really impatient and can’t be done with manual labour! Ha!) so started
doing my research.

I did
initially find a pump and started using it. It was bulky, extremely loud and
would take me forever to express any milk, often only 1oz in 20 minutes, which was laborious and
painful!

I didn’t want
to give up though and knew there had to be a better pump out there.

Pretty
quickly it became obvious that the most popular pump on the market which
repeatedly got fab reviews was the Medela Swing.

Everywhere I
looked this pump was given glowing reviews so I decided this was the one I
needed to try.

The Medela
Swing combines a multi-award-winning design with the latest technology,
resulting in a pump which is quiet but extremely effective.

When a baby
latches on to your breast to feed, it
does so in two phases.

1.Initially they
suckle fast and light: To stimulate the milk ejection reflex (MER) and to start
the milk flowing

2.Once the breast
has been officially stimulated, they switch to a slower and deeper suck for the
actual feeding phase: To get as much milk as possible.

The Medela
Swing replicates this with its 2 phase expression, which allows you to express
more milk, quicker!

To begin
with, the pump has a fast pumping rhythm to stimulate the milk let down reflex.

Firstly, this is a really compact little pump! It’s small,
stylish and dare I say it, even pretty! Its size makes it easily portable which
is great if you need to express on the go. You can use it attached to the mains
if you’re at home but it also takes batteries so you can take it out and about
too.

Its super easy to use too- I was slightly daunted when it
arrived and I saw all the parts, but it’s extremely easy to assemble and clean and
the pumping unit is easy to understand and use, in part thanks to the instructions
which come with photos you can refer to to ensure you’re definitely using it
correctly.

Now, they say this pump is quiet, but boy were they right!
Compared to the other pump I used this was practically silent, which is perfect
and means I can still watch the TV AND
hear it while pumping, which is always useful! It also means that you’d feel
less self conscious if expressing in a less private place as you don’t have a really obvious and
loud whirring going on!

It is a
really gentle pump that won’t aggravate or damage already sore nips. The pump
comes with its regular sized breast shield but if it doesn’t fit properly (It fitted perfectly for me) you can order
another individually adjustable PersonalFit Breastshield.

For comfort and productivity, the pump is designed so you
can increase or decrease the strength of the expressing phase of the pumping to
ensure it is comfortable for you and allowing you to express effectively but
gently too.

All these features are great but the proof is in the pudding,
or the milk I should say, and The Medela Swing didn't disappoint!

The first time I used it I managed to express 1oz in less
than 10 minutes as opposed to the usual 20 mins!

The more I used it, the more I found I was able to express!
I now regularly express 3oz in less than 10 minutes, which has made such a huge
difference to my daily life. Before, I’d be spending every spare minute I had
when Franky wasn’t feeding or crying, expressing.

Now, I can fit it into a
short 10 minute period, meaning I have far more free time to myself now and as
I’m able to express more in 1 go, I don’t have to keep trying again and again
throughout the day.

On top of all this, the Medela Swing comes with a unique
feeding system called Calma. It is essentially the top of the bottle, with teat
that you can attach to the bottle that has collected your milk to feed your
baby, but Calma is different from any other bottle you’ll feed your baby from.

Calma is an innovative solution which supports your baby
switching from breast, to bottle and back again. With a conventional teat, your
baby doesn’t have to suck very hard to get the milk, rather, it just flows
freely and instead your baby has to stop the flow of milk in order to pause and
breathe, totally different to when they feed from your breast.

With Calma, your baby can feed, pause and breathe regularly.
The milk won’t flow unless a vacuum is created and the milk flow stops when
your baby relaxes to pause and breathe.

This is hugely reassuring as one of my main worries was that
Franky would get used to drinking the expressed milk quickly and easily from a
bottle, then wouldn’t want to go back on the breast as the bottle was easier.

I’m thrilled to say that this hasn’t been the case at all
and he has no trouble switching from breast to bottle and I’m convinced that
this is down to Calma. I’d have been mortified if he hadn’t wanted to go back
on the breast and insisted on being fed from a bottle all the time.

Medela have clearly thought of everything!

So, as you can see, I literally don’t have a bad thing to
say about this pump and only wish I’d had it from the word go and not wasted my
time with any other one.

I am now able to express enough milk to allow my husband to
give him a bottle of an evening and share in the feeding experience, as well as
giving me and my boobs a break from a feed!

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Motherhood
is unquestionably wonderful and amazing, but it's only now, as mother that I
can truly appreciate just how hard it can be too and I totally understand why
we have a day dedicated to spoiling rotten all the Mothers and Fathers out
there!

I
realise that Mother's Day isn't about being lavished with lots of gifts, but as
it's my first one, I thought it would be lovely to have a little something
special to mark the occasion.

Something
I can keep and remind me of this time and the perfect little boy who has helped
me transition from being a woman to becoming a mother.

Monday, 17 March 2014

Franky is 9 weeks old and my god how time has flown
by, I have no idea where the last 2 months have gone. I’m so in love with my
little man, but having a baby is without a doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever
done, and I’m not just talking about Labour!

It is exhausting, relentless, frustrating and challenging
but rewarding and amazing all at the same time.

The first few weeks of Franky’s life were one huge blur of hormones
and exhaustion. I cried several times every single day. Sometimes I knew why,
sometimes I didn’t, but either way the tears came.

I think I was totally unprepared for just how difficult
being a first time mum to a newborn was going to be.

‘’Having a baby will
be the hardest job you ever do’’ they all said. Yeah, but it can’t be THAT
hard otherwise people would never do it, or at least never do it more than once
would they, I mused.

I could laugh at my naive thinking now.

In the early days, we would be up every hour throughout the
night, changing, feeding and soothing him. No sooner had we gone through all
this and he’d fallen asleep, he’d wake up hungry and we’d have to start all
over again.

It wasn’t any better during the day either as he wanted to
be attached to my boob ALL THE TIME.

I was in pain from labour, sore from feeding this little
person relentlessly 24 hours a day and shattered from having no sleep.

‘’Sleep while baby
sleeps’’ everyone told me. Easier said than done when you need to eat,
drink, clean or go out during the short periods of time when they’re asleep and
peaceful. I don’t know about you, but I find it impossible to sleep on demand!

Then he got colic and would scream from 5pm-10pm relentless every night. Feeding, winding him and giving him cuddles did nothing to help and I often felt like I was losing my mind.

The only thing that every soothed him was a car ride, so every night at 11pm I'd get into the car in my PJ's and we'd drive around aimlessly until he fell asleep.

I'd then carry him upstairs in his pram suit and place him gingerly into his moses basket, still in his pram suit and just pray he wouldn't wake up.

BUT, it has got easier.

To begin with, I didn’t feel like I knew this person,
despite him being in my belly for 9 months. I didn’t know who he was, what he
liked and what he didn’t.

Now, I feel like I know him.

I know that he loves cuddles, looking out of the window of
the car from his car seat when we go out, bouncing in his rocker, being sung to, having a bath and totally adores
having long massages after!

I can now tell the difference between his cries, something
at the start I never thought I’d be able to do, but he really does have a hungry
cry, an ‘I’m just grumpy cry’ and a ‘I’m
tired’ cry, which really helps me to figure out what I need to do to make him
happy again.

I also know when he’s happy, as he kind of pants and coo’s at me,
which melts my heart every time.

A couple of weeks ago I was giving him a cuddle and I caught
a glimpse of a smile.

Not a windy smile, but a proper smile. He smiled not just
with his mouth but with his eyes. I knew I hadn’t imagined it and within a few
days, he was smiling regularly.

This tiny little gesture fills my heart with a
joy I never knew could exist and made, and continues to make all the hard parts
so worth it.

He can now go 3-4 hours between feeds during the day and is
fairly content to entertain himself in his moses basket or rocker, just staring
at the world in wonder, giving me time to shower, eat, tidy and do bits and
pieces, such as write this post! Rewind several weeks and I never thought I’d
get this time to myself!

In fact, last night, Franky had his last feed at 10pm and
didn’t wake up until 6:15am! My first night of unbroken sleep in 9 weeks AND
when I got him out of his moses basket, I got a huge smile too.

Being a mum is the best thing in the world and the hardest, but I feel so lucky to be Franky’s mum and am excited to grow and learn with him and watch him become his own little person.

Thursday, 13 March 2014

One of my purchases
from the Baby Show last October were some baby wipes called WaterWipes.

Suitable from
birth, all you’ll find in these wipes is 99.9% purified water and Citrus Grandis
seed extract, aka grapefruit seed extract.

I wasn’t THAT
impressed, I mean, how excited can you really get about baby wipes, but that
was until I was shown the list of ingredients included in all other wipes, even
sensitive ones.

Chemicals
such as;

Parabens: chemically manufactured preservative

Lanolin: grease from animal fur

Phtalates; Chemicals used to make
plastics more flexible and harder to break

Benzoates: Chemically made preservatives

Tricolsan:
A cancer causing antimicrobial agent

Alcohol

Perfume/Fragrance

And
many, many more chemicals.

Given that you are recommended to use
only cooled boiled water and cotton wool to cleanse your newborn baby’s skin, I
was horrified to find out that baby wipes, something you would use on your baby’s
skin with every nappy change, contain such horrible chemicals and irritants!

Needless to say I ordered a huge batch
there and then, and I haven’t looked back.

I’ve used WaterWipes on Franky from day 1 and he’s never
had so much as a hint of pink on his bum. No soreness or irritation, nothing.
In fact, they’re so good, maternity wards and Neonatal Intensive Care Units in
the UK and Ireland have started using WaterWipes and recommending them to
parents!

You don’t get a much better endorsement
than that!

The natural baby wipes are scentless,gentle and
soft to touch and I would recommend these to every new mum.

They work just as well and are just as
effective as other leading brand wipes but without all the horrible chemicals.

Using these multi award winning wipes is a no brainer as far as I’m
concerned!

This beautiful basket is made from a strong but flexible,
hypoallergenic and easy to clean material that is far safer for your baby and
has a ventilated base to ensure a constant flow of fresh air.

It's practically silent when your baby moves around and has a great
locking system which means that the hood actually stays up, helping your baby
to stay asleep. (Which lets face it, is
REALLY important!) It’s also 10% bigger than other baskets which means baby
can fit in it for longer.

Made with 100% pure cotton fabrics and available in a range of
different colours, it's a warm, cosy and stylish place for your baby to sleep.

Each basket alone costs £75 or you can opt to buy a basket with a
folding stand for £95 or a rocking stand (which
I have) for £100.

There is also the option to buy a the basket as part of a really
handy starter pack, where you’ll get the basket, stand of your choice and also
get 2 fitted sheets and a cellular blanket for £101 or £106, which is actually
really reasonable!

I had the Shnuggle starter pack in Sky Blue and with the rocking
stand, which by the way has been a god send and I highly recommend!

I place his Shnuggle and stand on our laminate wood flooring and
can just gently tap the base of the stand with my foot to make it rock gently,
helping Franky off to sleep!

The Shnuggle rocking stand

While I know that aesthetics are not what you should base a purchase
as important as your baby’s first bed on, but the Shnuggle is a really gorgeous
basket which I get complimented on all the time.

Its sleek shape and pretty
colours make it an attractive addition to a room rather than a necessary eye
sore.

Franky, age approx 1 week enjoying his Shnuggle!

For me, it ticks every box.

It’s a safe, sturdy, hypoallergenic and easy to clean basket with
100% pure cotton fabrics to keep him warm and safe.

The ventilated base allows me to rest easy knowing that he is
surrounded by a constant flow of air so he doesn’t overheat.

The hood actually stays up and in place when I decide to use it to
shield him from the sun in the day, saving me from constantly having to pull it
back in place!

The basket is 10% bigger than other baskets so I’ll get more use
out of it.

The helpful sets that Shnuggle offer allow you to purchase everything
you’ll need for your baby’s first bed, for a great price, all at once.

It is available in 6 gorgeous colours.

It is a really chic, gorgeous basket unlike the majority of those
on the market!

Thursday, 6 March 2014

When Franky
was about a week old, during the peak of the sleepless nights and restlessness,
I found myself googling like a mad woman in the middle of the night, ideas and
products that could help settle him so I could get a few precious zzzz's!

Rave
reviews claimed that this little purple faced sheep could really help settle my
baby. I was sold (and desperate!)

Ewan
arrived and took his place in our lives 24 hours later and I've never
looked back.

"But
how does it work and what does he do?" I hear you ask. Well...

Ewan isn't just a cute cuddly toy. Oh no. He emits soothing sounds at a
low base frequency and a calming pink warm glow, which when combined, help settle
babies and toddlers into a peaceful sleep.

He has a button in each of his legs that when pressed, turns on the pink
light in his chest and emits one of 4 different sounds.

One leg plays a heartbeat and womb noise, another the sound of a vacuum
cleaner, another one sounds like rain and the fourth is a harp, each combined
with the gentle womb sequence.

You can chose to have the sounds on either loud or quiet ( I always have him on loud as it seems to have better results), and the pink
light is emitted with each track.

I placed Ewan in Frankys Moses basket at bed time and selected the womb
and heartbeat track. I watched as his eyes stared at the gentle pink glow
coming from Ewan's chest and he lay gentle listening to the music.

Within just a few minutes I watched his eyes become heavy until he fell
soundly asleep!

I was gob smacked- every night before I had had to rock him to sleep in
my arms and hold him until he was in a deep sleep before putting him in his
Moses basket. This time, he went off by himself and quickly!

I use Ewan every single night without fail now to help settle him into a
peaceful sleep and his current favourite track is the harp- which sends me to
sleep nicely too!

The only slight negative is that each track only plays for 20 minutes at a
time before going off.

Sometimes Franky isn't quite asleep by this point and its a race to
scramble out of bed and grab Ewan's leg quickly to start him up again before
Franky notices!

That said, it's a tiny inconvenience compared to the benefits Ewan offers
and I wouldn't be without him!

I would recommend Ewan to any new mum, or mum-to-be and would definitely
classify him as a product you "need" when buying for baby!